The Mood Elevators

Members

Name:

Role:

David Ditchfield

Guitar / Vocals

Jenny Jones

Drums / Vocals

Malcolm

Bass (Georgie Girl)

Noel Green

Bass (Annapurna)

Rise of the Mood Elevators

The three original members of the Mood Elevators (David Ditchfield,
Noel Green, and Jenny Jones) met after literally being thrown together
following a street fight. A group initially named Inside Out was
soon formed from the three.

Practice was held regularly in a hardware shop owned by Jenny's
parents located in Maypole, Birmingham. Once ready to gig in early
1980, the band began to book spots at pubs around Birmingham. These
gigs earned them a following and it was not long until they got
noticed.

On April 16, 1980 the Beat attended one of the Mood Elevators'
gigs at the Barrel Organ pub after being enticed by a flyer for
it. Impressed by the performance they witnessed, the Beat requested
a demo and even hinted at the possibility of an opening spot for
one of their tour dates. Consequently the three went in to M.C.R.
Studios to record a 10-song demo for submission.

A supporting spot on the Beat's lineup was indeed granted to the
band. After the first at Friars, Aylesbury, they were then invited
to join in on the rest of the tour. Being a three piece band with
very little equipment, the Mood Elevators were even able to travel
along with The Beat.

A firsthand account of the rise of the Mood Elevators by their
original bassist, Noel Green who was with the band until around
mid-1981:

I designed all the artwork/flyers that we would paste around Birmingham during
the nights. One particular poster, based on my mothers old car, a Triumph
Herald, together with a full moon from a magazine, and some photocopying
enhancement, was spotted by the Beat and they liked it so much they came to see
us at the local Pub: the Barrel Organ.

Shortly after recording our songs at a small studio (on cassette) the Beat invited us to play on their UK 1980 tour. The band made two complete tours of the UK with the Beat, making their first
support appearance on 24-MAY-1980 at Aylesbury Friars. The line up was: The Beat, The Equators, The Mood Elevators.

I left the band a few months after the release of the Single and a small Mood Elevators tour, including the only song I ever wrote: Jungle Dance. After leaving I took part in other tours, but this time professional cycling.

Go Feet and Beyond

The Beat had been impressed by the band's live performance. Feeling
that the Mood Elevators deserved greater exposure and confident
that they could produce a hit, the Beat offered them an opportunity
to record a single on the Go Feet label along with the supporting
spot on a UK tour. However, this relationship was not enough to
ensure a place on the charts by that point in time. The ska craze
which had gripped the UK was in a steady decline, so simple association
no longer meant a hit single (granted that the Mood Elevators did
not actually play ska). While they may not have experienced much
success on the pop charts, their music should not be ignored. It
is well worth checking out - especially for hardcore Beat fans.

While a slot on the UK charts would ultimately elude the Mood Elevators,
they made quite a big name for themselves within the independent
music scene. "Friendly, frentic and brilliantly instantaneous,"
the band's compelling live performances quickly drew in many fans
as they toured throughout the country (N.M.E.).

Releases

Only two 7-inch singles were released by the band. Their first,
Annapurna, was released on the Go Feet label in 1981. This
single was a big hit on the indie scene and soon led to the band
being invited on for a session on Radio One by Richard Skinner.
In fact, the session went over so well that the Mood Elevators were
soon asked to return for another session "by popular demand"
(N.M.E.). Later that year, the Mood Elevators released a second
single on Red Records (a division of Fresh Records); it is home
to such bands as the Material and the Lines. Titled Georgie
Girl (RS 013), this single was also recorded with the help
of the Beat's production and features the guest vocals of Ranking
Roger on the B-side. This was expected to be the single that would
allow the band to break into the charts; however, it was never embraced
by the disc jockies. Both are equally satisfying releases that are
well worth the investment should you be fortunate to come across
them.

Where Are They Now?

Noel now resides in France where he works for the
European Space Agency.

Dave was involved in a really bad accident which involved
him being pulled under the wheels of the train. By a miracle he
survived, losing his little finger and nearly an arm. He is now
a painter.

Gigography

To view a list of Mood Elevator performances from between December 1979 and June 1981,
TODO: add link!

Contributors

Many thanks go to the following contributors:

Noel Green

Paul Flanagan

Chris McBride

Image Gallery

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